By Tony Moore
Cricket Australia has splashed out to lure fans to the Gabba for the first day-night Test match at the ground.
Along with a pool and pool deck to be populated with cricket fans dressed in swimwear and chosen from among the crowd, CA is offering $20 special "twilight session" tickets to the two "after-work" sessions this week.
The 32,000-litre pool opens on Thursday, when the First Test against Pakistan begins at 1pm.
It is part of a suite of changes to bring fans back to Test match cricket as authorities experiment with the day-night Test match formula.
Australian cricketer Jackson Bird, former Olympic swimmer and Pool Deck ambassador Stephanie Rice and cricketers Nathan Lyon and Chadd Sayers pose at the pool deck at the Gabba.Credit: Glenn Hunt, Cricket Australia
"Basically we will run two sessions at the pool each day," a Cricket Australia spokesman said.
"People just wear the best beach attire or swimwear and they will just be chosen at random from among the crowd to come onto the pool deck," he said.
"We will have spotters going around and those with their pool gear, or a Hawaiian shirt or something similar, board shorts, that sort of thing.
"They have the chance of getting onto the pool deck and into the pool."
Pool deck ambassador Rice cools off at the Gabba.Credit: Glenn Hunt, Cricket Australia
The Gabba's official cricket pool ambassador, Olympian Stephanie Rice, will be at the deck on Thursday.
The deep end, at one metre, is the edge closest to the cricket ground, with a depth of 200mm at the opposite edge.
Cricket Australia will have lifeguards and other people at the pool watching for skylarking.
The $20 twilight tickets will allow a cricket fan to finish work at 4pm, with time to spare to arrive after the "lunch break" and see the final two sessions of play for $20.
They could bring along their child, grandchild, nephew or niece for $10 extra.
Those chosen to enjoy the pool deck are able to cool off or simply stay pool-side in a three-and-half-hour session.
"You don't have to be in the pool that long, that's just how long you can stay on the pool deck.
"It's a first for cricket, it's a first to have a pool deck at the cricket. It's a real fan-engagement type of idea, to give them something else to come along and enjoy the cricket with," the CA spokesman said.
No food or drink is allowed in the pool itself.
However you can have a beer or two on the pool deck, where food and drinks are allowed.